Learner Motivation

This is one area we can focus on next year as a part of Core Input and also link it with School-based Assessment (SBA).
Here's a possible starting point to experiment with with your teachers before the end of the semester. Feel free to improve upon it.
You will need to prepare a grid document with four columns and four rows. The four columns are: Pupil; Motivation; Learning Bevahiour; Comments. The four rows are the names of four pupils.


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What motivates learners?
Studies have suggested that there are two broad categories that learners fall into: instrumental and integrative. Instrumental motivation refers to wanting to learn because it will enhance job prospects, help with practical skills such as reading newspapers or texts, passing an exam or obtaining promotion. Integrative motivation, on the other hand, refers to wanting to learn for reasons of understanding, relating to or communicating with the people of the culture who speak the language being learned.

In the past it was thought that learners with integrative motivation learnt better but recent studies suggest a balance gains better results. Whatever the basis of the motivation highly motivated learners are more likely to synchronise their roles willingly with the teacher’s role; and are more likely to co-operate with the teacher in the various processes involved in classroom learning.

Classroom observation task

Before the lesson
1. make yourself familiar with the grid document.
2. choose four pupils whom you consider you know well enough to comment on their motivation for learning. Consider their reasons for wanting to learn the language. Comment in the Motivation column whether you think it is high or low.

During the lesson
1. consider the behaviour of your pupils in the class and the degree to which they synchronise and co-operate with the teacher and complete the grid. For example, consider a pupil’s:

    - response to the teacher;
    - involvement in tasks;
    - willingness to ask when uncertain;
    - tolerance of other pupils, etc.

2. There is room in the far right column for any further comments. You may like to consider whether the motivation might be instrumental, integrative or a blend, for example.

After the lesson
1. Comment on the linkage between motivation and behaviour.
2. Discuss your assumptions with the pupils in their mother tongue briefly and report on that.
3. How important is it for a teacher to know what and to understand their pupils’ motivations are?
4. What means/methods might a teacher deploy in order to obtain this information?
5. How might the information you have gathered affect your teaching priorities?

Acknowledgement: adapted from Wajnryb. Ruth. Classroom Observation Tasks (CUP 1992)